<![CDATA[ Latest from Tom's Hardware in Optical-media ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/optical-media Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000 en <![CDATA[ Another major Japanese electronics firm exits the Blu-ray market — Elecom publishes notice of termination of all external drives ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/another-major-japanese-electronics-firm-exits-the-blu-ray-market-elecom-publishes-notice-of-termination-of-nine-external-drives SSLRCgq5paJoshQaSVAYZm Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Microscopes can clearly see the video on the surface of a CED 'LaserDisc,' discovers Techtuber — a 12-inch vinyl-like disc that stores SD analog video ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/microscopes-can-clearly-see-the-video-on-the-surface-of-a-laserdisc-discovers-techtuber-a-12-inch-vinyl-like-disc-that-stores-sd-analog-video rEpXkmBMsKbcrw8EoTPHc5 Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:15:00 +0000 Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:17:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ Six-month rewritable DVD endurance test crowns winner with 1,000 rewrites, shows the best discs are no longer manufactured — six month of tests find TDK is a clear leader, Verbatim and Memorex didn’t do well ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/six-month-dvd-rewritable-test-shows-the-best-discs-are-no-longer-manufactured-tdk-a-clear-leader-verbatim-and-memorex-didnt-do-well AXjMNiybeishDgKtXzTBhN Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Portable USB DVD writer with 2.5-inch SATA and SD card dock slashed by 30% to $21 — optical drive can read and write CDs at 24X, and DVDs at 8X ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/portable-usb-dvd-writer-with-2-5-inch-sata-and-sd-card-dock-slashed-by-30-percent-to-usd21-optical-drive-can-read-and-write-cds-at-24x-and-dvds-at-8x sQVyPGC8ftMe6DSs8XwS4k Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:56:51 +0000 Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:56:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ Sony will ship its final Blu-ray recorders this month — exit from Japanese market the end of an era for the segment ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/monitors/televisions/sony-will-ship-its-final-blu-ray-recorders-this-month-exit-from-japanese-market-the-end-of-an-era-for-the-segment ir62fNyH7eSV7JYPuuGgh9 Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:57:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ Open source IDE-ATAPI drive emulator launches for vintage computers — drop-in 3.5-inch bay solution can save oodles of optical and HDD images to a microSD ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/microsd-cards/open-source-ide-atapi-drive-emulator-launches-for-vintage-computers-drop-in-3-5-inch-bay-solution-can-save-oodles-of-optical-and-hdd-images-to-a-microsd sBqCUfW3VyNFkTvf7c6FAJ Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:05:00 +0000 Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:39:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ Windows Media Player’s ‘find album information’ functionality has been removed — you’ll have to find other software for playing and ripping CDs with relevant track information ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-media-players-find-album-information-functionality-has-been-removed-youll-have-to-find-other-software-for-playing-and-ripping-cds-with-relevant-track-information NeNoj9LJFNQHCY8SuHS6vK Sun, 11 Jan 2026 13:45:00 +0000 Sun, 11 Jan 2026 14:33:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ Blu-ray hits 20 years old, and it isn't dead yet — optical disc format was introduced to the public at CES 2006 ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/blu-ray-hits-20-optical-disc-format-was-introduced-to-the-public-at-ces-2006 nXJPmPmPytx7ZDYeMhkuPJ Sun, 04 Jan 2026 13:59:09 +0000 Sun, 04 Jan 2026 14:51:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ Cooler Master's new PC case with 5.25-inch drive bay launches in Japan as optical drive boom hits due to Windows 10 upgrade cycle — MasterBox CM695 addresses the country's reluctance to ditch physical media ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/pc-cases/cooler-masters-new-pc-case-with-5-25-inch-drive-bay-launches-in-japan-as-residents-continue-to-embrace-optical-drives-masterbox-cm695-is-unabashedly-towering-and-addresses-the-countrys-reluctance-to-ditch-physical-media iCG4RLrjaDg7A2DFhZKQWG Sun, 26 Oct 2025 18:19:26 +0000 Sun, 26 Oct 2025 20:23:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Fujitsu defies convention with optical drives in new AMD Ryzen laptop — Blu-ray disk drive clings onto life in Japanese market ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/fujitsu-defies-convention-with-optical-drives-in-new-amd-ryzen-laptop-blu-ray-disk-drive-clings-onto-life-in-japanese-market i4UQBzMzr3Jp7m8hXqJSFT Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:36:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ Microsoft breaks Media Creation Tool on the eve of Windows 10 end-of-life — company confirms Windows 11 upgrade tool 'might not work as expected', outlines alternatives ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-breaks-media-creation-tool-on-the-eve-of-windows-10-end-of-life-company-confirms-windows-11-upgrade-tool-might-not-work-as-expected-outlines-alternatives j9JLANrjBYKWbLDrzPyhRQ Mon, 13 Oct 2025 10:43:40 +0000 Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:11:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ The first commercial Compact Disc was created 43 years ago, today — nearly one billion CDs were shipped per year in early 2000's ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/the-first-commercial-compact-disc-was-created-43-years-ago-today-nearly-one-billion-cds-were-shipped-per-year-in-early-2000s M2yDJuG46if6wBX89rYkFK Sun, 17 Aug 2025 14:00:39 +0000 Sun, 17 Aug 2025 20:31:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ Holographic ribbon aims to oust magnetic tape with 50-year life span and 200TB capacity per cartridge — HoloMem says optical ribbon-based carts work with some components of existing systems, reducing fricition ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/holographic-ribbon-aims-to-oust-magnetic-tape-with-50-year-life-span-and-200tb-capacity-per-cartridge-holomem-says-optical-ribbon-based-carts-work-with-some-components-of-existing-systems-reducing-fricition o7yuLroV3zFwd7L4vn2VkD Sun, 13 Jul 2025 13:47:08 +0000 Tue, 22 Jul 2025 11:58:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ Verbatim pledges 'stable supply of optical disks' after Sony Japan's recordable Blu-ray exit ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/verbatim-pledges-stable-supply-of-optical-disks-after-sony-japans-recordable-blu-ray-exit RmzZnSht85ApuY9QsnSYoB Sun, 02 Feb 2025 13:50:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Sony kills off recordable Blu-ray and optical disks for consumer market — business-to-business production to continue until unprofitable ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/sony-stops-producing-blu-ray-and-optical-disks-for-consumer-market-business-to-business-production-to-continue-until-unprofitable ZnBAkCdTZZ2uzSxE8bTiSa Wed, 03 Jul 2024 14:35:24 +0000 Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:49:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ Sony cuts 250 jobs at optical media plant — recordable disc production to be phased out, says report ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/sony-cuts-250-jobs-at-optical-media-plant-recordable-disc-production-to-be-phased-out-says-report mLnufUkq7HhDsQC2W3UFYM Sun, 30 Jun 2024 13:44:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ Prototype LaserDisc HD media sells for $1,000 — despite disc rot and unknown contents ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/retro-gaming/prototype-laserdisc-hd-media-sells-for-dollar1000-despite-disc-rot-and-unknown-contents Anenzvs57xPLp8EGXaGrnB Fri, 16 Feb 2024 17:14:31 +0000 Fri, 16 Feb 2024 17:25:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ Best Buy Quits Physical Media Business: No More Blu-rays, DVDs ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/best-buy-quits-physical-media-business-no-more-blu-rays-at-best-buy bNQzLA3ZJj6bBZ4NjexizM Sat, 14 Oct 2023 15:42:52 +0000 Mon, 06 Nov 2023 12:24:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billion-Year Data Archive Goes Multi-Planetary: Next Stop, Mars ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/billion-year-data-archive-expands-beyond-moon-next-stop-mars gP49EWmRQB9Ze4nH6hKHaY Sat, 05 Aug 2023 15:36:29 +0000 Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:36:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ Optical Data Transmission World Record Broken, 1.8 Petabit per Second ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/optical-data-transmission-world-record-broken-18-petabytes-per-second BXh6EhCwjj44WNGzAt7DPa Fri, 09 Jun 2023 13:13:05 +0000 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 13:40:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ Live11, Windows 11 Live Disk That Runs in RAM, Available for Download ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-11-live-disk-live11-released DYiw229cFZyGUspAoqsXD Sat, 15 Apr 2023 19:09:10 +0000 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:26:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ Acer SpatialLabs View 15.6-inch Glasses-Free 3D Portable Monitor Review ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/acer-spatiallabs-view-156-inch-glasses-free-3d-portable-monitor qXCjNqSQxtLjruV3saJqrN Fri, 14 Apr 2023 13:27:35 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:01:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dev Teases Windows 11 Bootable DVD Image ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/tiny11-developer-teases-live11-bootable-dvd-image v9C2fqqu6o9DoYzBF4dcjE Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:34:43 +0000 Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:32:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ These Blu-Ray Discs Are Guaranteed to Last 100 Years ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/pioneer-new-blu-ray-recorder-and-bdr-promise-100-years-lifespan L4waVVmn6tqGs7DJArkQ2h Sun, 12 Mar 2023 14:29:03 +0000 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:45:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ Microsoft Will End Sale of Windows 10 Licenses to Consumers This Month ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-10-microsoft-ends-license-sales xGdhoaxMJhSUSjpM782coA Thu, 19 Jan 2023 10:45:39 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:55:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ Raspberry Pi Pico Makes SD-Stored Games Playable on PlayStation 1 Console ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-pico-emulates-playstation-cd-games tQqQLb2tW2KN8Ng6gTFMje Mon, 12 Dec 2022 17:30:57 +0000 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 13:58:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ Japanese Government Will Finally Stop Using Floppy Disks and CD-ROMs ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/japanese-government-will-finally-stop-using-floppy-disks-and-cd-roms vWq6dheKNLbsh7opanffLJ Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:11:46 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 13:51:12 +0000 <![CDATA[ Optical Discs Aren't Dead, as Pioneer's New Drive Doubles BD Write Speeds ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/pioneer-bd-dvd-cd-writer-optical-drives-back-from-the-dead 6n87btg3hBjt3mbBP4sHna Tue, 01 Mar 2022 20:19:38 +0000 Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:31:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ Alder Lake Systems Can't Play UHD Blu-rays ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/alder-lake-systems-arent-able-to-play-uhd-blu-rays pR4ckWJwn6AvbdpUsFXCxc Sat, 15 Jan 2022 15:22:05 +0000 Thu, 21 Aug 2025 10:09:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ New 5D Storage to Offer 10,000x the Density of Blu-Ray ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/5d-storage-optical-data-cube BnaueUaeY4ZeeARAnXXvPP Mon, 01 Nov 2021 16:35:42 +0000 Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:31:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ Pack 12 M.2 SSDs Into Your DVD Bay With Icy Dock's New Enclosure ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/pack-12-m2-ssds-into-your-dvd-bay-with-icy-docks-new-enclosure yvvAUcPfMHCyQG6Fk3udw6 Thu, 10 Jun 2021 17:47:58 +0000 Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:32:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ CD Projekt Red Faces Possible Class-Action Lawsuit Over 'Misrepresentation' ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/cyberpunk-lawsuit-talk-cd-projekt-red 4daDemcvirESerJaaVzQ87 Mon, 21 Dec 2020 18:15:39 +0000 Wed, 29 Jan 2025 00:31:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ Here's Where Sony and Microsoft Stand on Cyberpunk 2077 Refunds ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/cyberpunk-2077-sony-microsoft-cd-projekt-red-refunds 26MQH83f6oWEqMPjyVmaDj Tue, 15 Dec 2020 00:14:37 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:23:21 +0000 <![CDATA[ Cyberpunk 2077 Physical Copy Comes on Two Blu-rays ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/cyberpunk-2077-two-discs roKmuaJiDDLHpzipBKE3x7 Wed, 18 Nov 2020 20:37:36 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:38:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ Budget Micro ATX Z490 Roundup: Inexpensive ASRock, Asus and Gigabyte Boards Battle ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/features/budget-micro-atx-z490-motherboards-tested uMz2Y3s2UvZqjb98UWTbf6 Thu, 12 Nov 2020 14:05:51 +0000 Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:51:05 +0000 <![CDATA[ Nintendo-PlayStation Prototype Is Currently Auctioning for $350K ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/nintendo-playstation-super-nes-cd-rom-auction WZfapZxnL2s2Nor5bTwvsR Fri, 14 Feb 2020 19:25:58 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:41:12 +0000 <![CDATA[ AOC Agon AG322QC4 Curved FreeSync 2 Gaming Monitor Review: HDR Accuracy On a Budget ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/aoc-agon-ag322qc4-curved-freesync2-gaming-monitor,5933.html jBo4tVRSxHNMbgt8q2K6UN Thu, 03 Jan 2019 14:00:00 +0000 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:26:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ ASRock Z370M Pro4 Review: A Z370 Value? ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asrock-z370m-pro4-micro-atx-lga-1151-motherboard,5711.html 3DyPtkJ3MKskBH6Hx6q5Ka Mon, 03 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:27:05 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dell S2718D HDR Monitor Review ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/dell-s2718d-hdr-monitor,5106.html XuuhrHAfabyBRPYc6NcdxJ Sun, 23 Jul 2017 13:00:00 +0000 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:26:13 +0000 <![CDATA[ PS4 'Sasuke' Update Will Bring 3D Blu-Ray Support To PSVR, Other Goodies ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/ps4-software-update-psvr-goodies,33577.html tdWq2jMFn7HKwMnBKhrTx9 Fri, 03 Feb 2017 16:45:00 +0000 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 17:22:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ Gwent at Gamescom: A Preview Of The Standalone Mini-Game ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/gwent-cd-projekt-witcher-minigame,32517.html W2Yh5oEVoeZ7jaAnPjsRwQ Thu, 18 Aug 2016 21:10:00 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:40:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ ASRock Z170 Extreme4 Review ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asrock-z170-extreme4-atx-motherboard,4337.html fLMohFnq42zFTg7g7xm4vS Wed, 27 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:29:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ MediaTek Debuts New Chips For Wearables, Smart Homes And Blu-Ray Players ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/mediatek-soc-wearables-smarthome-bluray,30833.html SNBqpB6SsMnw8uUS44cmdc Mon, 04 Jan 2016 15:00:00 +0000 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 14:09:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ Specs Finalized For Ultra HD Blu-ray, Licensing Begins Summer 2015 ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/ultra-hd-blu-ray-announced,29094.html mvhHb5UfaAprVJFnekk5yK Wed, 13 May 2015 16:35:00 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:02:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ A Guide To Professional Video Editing Software ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/professional-video-editing-software-guide,4004.html DiNcnkQmUkrxDYqj6vRmiV Sat, 21 Feb 2015 20:00:00 +0000 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 13:33:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ Three-Way X99 LGA 2011-v3 ATX Motherboard Shootout ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-x99-haswell-e-overclocking,3934.html cg7tGkhE9uc7uYE6j679M5 Thu, 18 Sep 2014 07:00:00 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:59:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ Can You Play 3D Blu-ray Discs on the Xbox One? Yes! ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/xbox-one-blu-ray-update-activity-feed-major-nelson,27477.html 3XPsGMYR4FYKvcJfyRzKXk Mon, 18 Aug 2014 15:45:00 +0000 Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:01:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ Sapphire Write-Protect Drive Reader Protects HDDs, SSDs ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/storage-hdd-ssd-flash-sapphire,27387.html 62ABZFUDnT5zVMHJVd2nzZ Wed, 06 Aug 2014 18:52:00 +0000 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:44:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ Samsung's New External DVD Drives are Thin ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/news/samsung-external-dvd-drive-ultrabook,27315.html kB3fjkF3AmdHEjJUC2qwKG Fri, 25 Jul 2014 16:10:00 +0000 Thu, 30 Jan 2025 13:37:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ Three AMD AM1 Motherboards For The Kabini APU, Reviewed ]]> https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/am1-motherboard-socket-fs1b-athlon-5350,3850.html K3VoivnYiJouvz8ewUue7F Wed, 02 Jul 2014 07:00:00 +0000 Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:52:36 +0000